Bumper for motor vehicles



Oct. 28 I924.

' P. UTNE BUMPER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original Filed Feb. 23. 1922 FIG. 2

mvzmon I @w/Qltr m/ Reissued Oct. 28, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rm; U'INB, OIF IDGEWOOD, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T UNITEDSTATES CHAIN & FOIBGING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR-PORATION DE DELAWARE.

BUMPER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Original 80. 1,417,118, dated May 28, 1922, Serial No. 540,027, filedFebruary 28, 1922. Application for bodying m vehicle, only a reissuefiled May 8, 1924.

of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new 1 usgul Improvements inBumpers for ggoto eh icles, of which the following is a semi. cat n.-

" y invention relates to bumpers or buffers for fnotor vehicles, and ithas for its object to provide a bumper which is durable, simple andeconomically manufactured and can beeasily re aired in case ofdistortion or breakage. Twill describe a bumper eminvention and thenpoint out the novel eatures thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1- is a top plan view of a bumperembodying my invention and suitably attached to a motor ortion of whichis shown. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line A-A,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a spring forming part of a bumperembodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a top view of a modification embodyingmy invention.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

In the drawings, 1 designates a bar, pref- 3 erably of a U-formedcross-section, formed from suitable material, preferably steel. Thecenter portion is shown curved outward and the ends curved backward.While the channel may be formed in a straight line for its entirelength, it will be seen that the out wardly curved central portion willassist in centralizing shocks and thus distribute the ressure due toshocks more evenly to the ame of the vehicle. The object of curving theends is to reduce the space covered by the bum er and also add to theappearance. It will be noticed that the flanges of the channel 1 arehighest at the center and Y gradually taper down towards the ends.

This taper not only adds to the appearance,

but it provides a stronger section in the center portion where themaximum strength is needed and consequently the material is used to itsbest advantage, giving a maximum strength and keeping the welght downSerial No. 711,517.

to a minimum and without establishing any Weak sections in the channel.

F astened securely to the channel 1 are the springs 2. It will be notedthat only one end of each spring, which is bent in ap: proximatel a halfcircle is secured to the channel. he other end, which is formed to giveadditional support to the channel engages with it and is free toslide inthe channel when deflected. The form of each spring is preferably suchthat tension is set up in it when secured to the channel in order torevent rattling.

ig. 1 shows the springs attached to the channel 1, with the free endsturned out, while same could be turned in towards the center as wellwithout departing from the scope of this invention as shown in Fig. 4.

The springs as shown in Fig. 3 are secured to brackets 3, which in turnare fastened to the frame of vehicle as indicated at 4:.

While the outer ends of the springs 2 are shown as free to slide in thechannel bar, it will be understood that they may be secured againstmovement relatively to the bar. It will also be understood that theouter ends may be given a semi-circular or semi-elliptical form similarto the inner ends thereof. In either case, an important advantage issecured, namely, the provision of a supporting structure for the bumperbar at a plurality of points adjacent to each end of the bar and thestructure permits the employment of a flat spring of relatively greatlength and hence increased yielding capacity, without the necessity oflocating the bumper bar at a point too far in front of the vehicle body.Further, those ends of the spring 2 which lie in front of the mud guardsof the vehicle are depressed, thus providing ample space for movement ofthe bar 1, and for wheel clearance.

The ends of each spring engage with the bumper bar at points adjacent tothose portions of the bar most often subjected to impacts as whencolliding with another vehicle. The bar is thus more firmly supportedagainst distortion than if each spring engaged it only at one point.

While I have shown the bumper as applied to one end of a vehicle, itWill be apparent that it may be disposed along the side thereof toprotect that portion of the 7 vehicle.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A bumper comprising a bar; and a pair of springs, one end portion ofeach spring being bent in a half circle and-secured at that end to thebar, and the other end pressing against the bar and having a slidingengagement therewith.

2. In combination a bumper comprising a channel bar and a air ofsprings, one end portion of each spring being bent in a half circle andsecured at that end to the bar between the flanges, and the other endpressing against the bar and having a sliding engagement therewith.

3. A bumper comprising a bar and a pair of flat springs one end portionof each spring being bent in a half-circle and secured to said bar, andthe other end of each s ring engaging the bar at a point remove from thesaid point of attachment.

4. A bumper comprising a bar and a pair of fiat springs, one end ortionof each spring being bent in a ha f circle and secured to said bar, andthe other end thereof being also curved at its point of engagement saidbar, each of said springs having one of its ends in the form of a Widecurve and its other end relatively depressed, and means for securingsaid springs at their intermediate point to a vehicle, the depressed endof said springs being so disposed as to lie opposite an adjacent wheelof the vehicle.

7. A bumper comprising a bar and a pair of fiat springs, one end of eachspring being bent in a half circle and secured to said bar, and theother end thereof being also curved and disposed in position to engagethe bar.

PER UTNE.

